NICO

My head throbbed painfully inside my skull, making it hard to focus along the course of the day.  The coursework I turned in was prone to getting a failing grade, which, at the moment, I didn't give two shits about.  

"Mr. Angelo! Pay attention you numskull!" Ms. Pendragon yells at me, taking the whole class by surprise. My eyes widen at the unwanted attention when people look over at my seat. I grip my pencil with anxiety when a couple snicker. Was it really necessary to call me out? She just hated my guts and I had no idea why.  From what I knew, I don't think I had ever wronged her. 

Your presence is just distasteful and gross, why wouldn't she? Your skin is oily, hair is ugly, and that annoying habit of biting the side of your thumb is revolting. The back of my head speaks up, only giving a necessary truth.

"Yes ma'am." The class laughs at my shaking response until the teacher shuts them up. I fold my arms on my desk and bury my red face inside of it. I just had to make it home.

 Not calling the police immediately pressured guilt onto me.  But what was I supposed to say they asked why he was in my house? They would have to take my farther away.  He was still a nice man! It was just the evil doing of the alcohol and grief that made him that way. I would be forced into living with a relative I had never met, probably hundreds of miles away. What would I do without Reyna by my side? 

Without realizing it, I'm biting my thumb again.  I cuss and wipe it off on my jacket then looking up at the clock. Nineteen minutes left, making me want to bang my head repetitively on the wall. This was the only time I wished school to be over in a hurry. 

When three-thirty came around, I practically ran out the door. Not less than five feet out the schools glass doors though when a familiar hand wraps around my lower arm. "Nico, finally! Are you okay? You've been avoiding me all day."

I turn around to see Piper's hair flailing around dramatically in the wind. "I uh, just feel kinda sick. I didn't want you to catch it." The lie comes rolling off my tongue naturally.

"Bullshit," she says, "When you get sick, your voice gets gruff."

"What? No it doesn't!"

"Yeah. It does." She crosses her arm and gives me the, You-Know-I'm-Right  look. "And you never gave me explanation to the bruise on your nose. If you joined a street gang without me, I'm going to kill you and bring you back to life."

"Look, just- just I'll tell you tomorrow, okay? Please?" I plead, looking her straight in the eyes. I needed to talk to the boy again. Because then maybe I could help them.

"Fine," Her arms unfold,  "On one condition though."

I'm hesitant to answer, and when I do my voice is small. "And?"

"Come over to my house this weekend. You can tell me there if you want. Trust me Nico please. I've known you for years."

I have ever only been to her house once when I was in ninth grade. The only reason was because she had so badly wanted to go to homecoming and didn't want to go alone. So I had went with her, of course, not in anything fancy. Just black jeans and a blue shirt. 

"F-fine." 

She lets out the breath she was holding back, blowing off some of the tension as well. "Thank you. Why are you in such a hurry anyways? It's not like you have to tutor anyone today, you have the day off."

"....On a scale from one to ten, how much would you believe me if I said I need to feed my pet unicorn?"

"Ten obviously, unicorns are rad." She laughs at the comment and swings one strap of her bag off when she see's her dad's car. 

"See ya tomorrow, text me."

"See you." I wave her off and start speed walking the other way. 

~~

I had gotten home eight minutes before I usually did because of my little rush. My feet pounded up the stairs in a hurry as I threw my backpack down in my room. Quickly, I threw off my jacket and down the hall. Like always, the brown wooden floor boards and old hinges creaked ever-so-slightly when I moved towards the ladder. With no one it the house to be scared of hearing me, I don't even try to go slow. 

My feet loudly hit the floor since I skipped the last two steps and just jumped. I soon regretted it though when I landed on one of my bad ankles. The years of it getting stepped on add up.

One of hands reach into my pocket and take out my phone so I could see. The other fans my face from the heat. I shuffle my feet to the wall from yesterday and knock on it, my heart pumping fast. I lie down from the exhaustion and catch my breath. 

A tired voice comes from the wall, "Hello..?"

The voice brings a smile at my face. Whatever they were planning, at least the boy was still alive. "H-hi," I answer breathlessly. "I'm back. Are you okay?"

It takes them a few moments before they reply. "Yes, just a few scratches here and there. Where am I?"

"You're somewhere under my house I think. The thing is that I don't know exactly. . . where."

They sigh at the information and I hear a thump, probably them slinging their head back. "Look, my name's Nico by the way. I have no idea what you are doing here, or why they took you. I'm sorry, holy crap, I'm so sorry. I can try to get you out but-"

"Who's they?" The person cuts off my rant. 

"Heh? Oh, uh, my dad and few other people I think. I swear I'm not with them through whatever you think."

"Did you say your dad?" They ask, voice full of curiosity.

"Yeah." 

....I stopped writing here. I lost inspiration. Sorry y'all. 🏳🤧